Adobe Reader 8 goes slick

Adobe Reader 8, available for free, is out and seems to be slicker and more loaded with functionalities than its predecessors. It seems that the Macromedia guys had a strong and positive influence on the product; from appearance to functions. Just have a look at the “Connecting…” icon that appears when you open “Beyond Adobe Reader”. What does it remind you? An icon from Macromedia maybe? 😉

The pdf reader seems to have matured and seems more than just a simple reader these days. It now offers markup tools that allow you to add comments to a pdf document, replace selected text, underline text or even add an arrow to a document. Additionally, there is now functionality for tracking changes in a pdf and even creating one altogether using the web-based service Adobe Acrobat or Adobe LiveCycle.

As far as the new look of the prodcut, it is simple and organised, with clickable-button menus appearing on the left once you open a pdf document; the buttons resembling ones that you would see in products like Flash or Dreamweaver. The interface is also customizable, allowing you to have the reader’s controls wherever and whenever you want them to appear.